Entertainment

Is the Era of Music Video Games Really Over?

Scott Steinberg is the author of the new book Music Games Rock (100% free to download online). He is a noted technology expert, the CEO of high-tech consulting firm TechSavvy Global, and a frequent keynote speaker and media analyst for ABC, CBS and CNN. A celebrated author and entrepreneur, he also hosts video series Gear Up and Game Theory.

The universe gave us rock ‘n roll. Then it snatched it back in 2009, when the music video game industry collapsed from a record $1.7 billion the year prior.

The market suffered a nearly 50% sales collapse across the board in 2009. It didn’t help that MTV sold Rock Band maker Harmonix, and Activision decided to temporarily bench the once-proud Guitar Hero series. Some have even gone on to predict these kinds of setbacks could mean curtains for the genre. Just one problem for critics: Such prognoses are complete and utter bull.

Long before the Fab Four ever flirted with blockbuster band simulations, or Dance Central allowed us to get awkwardly footloose, each enjoyed a healthy romance with gaming fans – not to mention success across other eras, concepts and formats.

For instance, mobile and online-enabled games like Tap Tap Revenge 4 and Slayer: Pinball Rocks continue to tear up the charts, and prove a more cost-effective alternative to $120 instrument bundles. Fans are also enthusiastic over karaoke and dancing games — like Just Dance 3 and Dance Central 2 — given the multiplatinum-selling success of Michael Jackson: The Experience. But, in all fairness, given the recent topsy-turvy performance of the rhythm gaming genre, one can’t exactly blame industry naysayers.

It’s a troubling sign that even games paired with headlining bands struggle to go multiplatinum. Furthermore, some of the most ambitious and fulfilling digital diversions fail to even tweak the dial on most fans’ radars. However, dig a bit deeper into the reasons behind the recent financial troubles. You’ll find primary relegation to mobile and social games such as Tap Tap Glee and Say What?!, as well as general-purpose apps such as Songify and Cambox.

Today’s economic headaches are causing cash-strapped gaming enthusiasts to budget more than ever. Publishers have also been slow to realize when it’s time to give up the ghost. Much as virtual spin-offs sell as the interactive equivalent of collector’s boxed sets — from DJ Hero to Green Day: Rock Band — too many have flooded shelves in too short a period of time. Worse, most not only play to an increasingly limited audience, but also require the use of pricey plastic instruments. That’s a hard pill to swallow, especially because one is able to download value-priced content (e.g. new songs and track packs) that keep older games feeling fresh.

Nowadays, shoppers are smarter about how they spend their money. They’re less willing to buy pricey accessories only compatible with a small range of titles. Even more, the price of the average music and rhythm game more than doubled that of the average video game in recent years. Pair that with the rise of free-to-play alternatives for web browsers, smartphones and PCs, new on-demand digital download platforms, and a growing, but still relatively nascent audience averse to overspending on polystyrene turntables. Pullback is inevitable.

However, just as detractors once tried to write off rock ‘n roll, or dub it a tool of the devil, one shouldn’t be so quick to abandon music gaming quite yet. It’s easy to see that music not only impacts every human being on the planet, but it also serves as a common unifier across age, gender, class and religion. Capable of bringing people of all ages together around shared social experiences, music games are an ideal way to bridge the gap between disparate backgrounds and generations — hence the reason they’ve dubbed karaoke this generation’s happy hour activity of choice.

From a retail standpoint, new games that play to niche audiences, like Child of Eden and Rocksmith, may continue to face an uphill battle. However, each new day brings heightened acceptance and growth for the field, especially after an acclaimed musician endorses a game. Consider titles like Rock Band, which one might have expected to flounder without former parent company MTV’s guidance. Still going strong, it offers 2700+ songs by over 900 artists, with a million players continuing to login each month to download new tracks. It has now digitally distributed over 100 million tracks.

Already, we’ve watched games like Madden NFL provide an additional outlet for bands. Using this type of platform, bands have a better chance at mainstream success than individual radio station promotion. The world’s largest record labels are starting to feel threatened by the rise of music games, which offer audiophiles an interactive way to enjoy tracks. We’ve just begun to witness the rise of groundbreaking virtual distribution services such as Rock Band Network, which allows independent and unsigned bands the chance to be discovered by millions, without the need for a label’s input. Finally, the greatest acts of yesteryear have begun embracing music games as a way to bridge the gap between generations.

All things considered, critics shouldn’t be so hasty to dismiss music video games. These games’ SoundScan numbers may be irrelevant. Instead we should be pioneering new ways to experience and enjoy some of history’s greatest recordings, not to mention blow open the doors for tomorrow’s headlining acts. Today’s market is not an indicator that it’s time to take a final bow. The music game industry’s current growing pains may rather be a sign that the party’s just getting started. Get your devil horns ready…

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